Chapter 47

Chapter 47

“You’re so frivolous. Do you know that?

“Oh my! Of course, I know!”  When I winked at him and laughed, Kaichen furrowed his eyebrows, pursed his lips and turned away. I laughed louder at his back. He is so adorable. Then I hurried and followed him at a brisk walk.

* * *

Kaichen looked at Dalia as she bought vegetables with a very serious face. She was his subject of observation and study. He found her fascinating. She suffered severely from symptoms of alcoholism, but once she was back to her senses, she had a wonderment of a playful child.

She was so different from when she was sick. She was always so meticulous in everything she did, but once the symptoms affected her, she started hallucinating and muttering things.

“I… I’m a murderer…’

“It’s going to be ugly, ugly… I… no, no…….”

“I can’t show it… Oh, no.… I, I’m sorry.… I’m sorry. I’m sorry I killed you…”

Kaichen didn’t understand any of it in the beginning. He was always on the alert to stop her from harming herself. She always looked like she was in immense pain. Most times she wasn’t aware of her episodes, and it hurt somewhere deep within Kaichen’s heart. It was an indescribable emotion.

Kaichen had cared for her the entire night and saw her suffer through her hallucinations and pain. Even when he cared for her, she asked repeatedly for forgiveness.

She had been trapped in the time magic for a hundred years. Kaichen checked the ingredients to the antidote recipe she had given and was somewhat able to figure out what might have happened to her.

Dalia had not escaped the time magic unscathed. What I felt at that time… was she feeling that way all along?

When Kaichen had broken through the barrier in Acrab, he had felt an overwhelming feeling of pain, loss and loneliness flow through him. He had no intention of sympathizing with the woman in front of him but whenever he saw her smile at him, his chest seized in pain.

“Teacher, doesn’t this look fresh?” Dalia smiled. “Oh, it doesn’t matter since you don’t eat carrots.”

“Who’s not going to eat it?”

“I’m sure you don’t like carrots…?”

“It’s just not my preference.”

“That is what ‘dislike’ means.” Dalia scoffed.

Kaichen smiled at that, shaking his head. Dalia always had a retort ready and never hesitated to fling it at him. Her dark eyes made it impossible to guess what she was thinking at the moment. Her long hair, that was tied into a ponytail, and pale skin…

Kaichen didn’t want to see her in pain. The childhood resentment towards her remained, but this woman was different from who he had met in the past. I must be going crazy, thought Kaichen.

She claimed that she forgot her memories due to the influence of time magic. Was it possible? Did people forget their memories if they lived a hundred years? Kaichen wondered. He also noticed that the people in the village knew and greeted Dalia as though she was their own.

It was strange to see her like this. So different from the childhood version of her that he had known. She talked to the merchants, the villagers, the ordinary people as thought she was friends with them. She was more familiar with them than Kaichen who had lived near the village his whole life. If she was the same person of his past, this would have been impossible.

“Dalia!” said the fruit vendor, “So great to see you! Where have you been all this time? It’s been a while. Oh my! What happened? You look so pale. Have you been sick?”

“Ma’am, do I look that sick? I was actually sick the past few days. You don’t know how much I craved the fruits you sell.”

“Oh no! You pretty little thing. Take these,” said the fruit vendor, handing Dalia a bag of fruits, “Eat this and get your strength back. You should be healthy at your age!”

Kaichen looked at the fruit vendor, who Dalia talked with so casually. She looked like she could have lived in the village for about 20 years.

“Thank you!” said Dalia. “I am sure these will help a great deal. Do you mind packing me a box of green apples?”

“Not at all, not at all. Any others you want me to pack?”

“Just the green apples. They are my teacher’s favorites.”

As she had done before, she winked at the fruit vendor as though they shared an inside joke. Then she pointed to Kaichen standing a little far off.

“I’m here with my teacher today! Can you see him? He’s so shy, so don’t act like you know him, alright?”

“Is that the teacher you have been bragging about all this time? Hm… he doesn’t look as great as you have described. And why is he wrapped up in such a weather like this?” The fruit vendor directed a suspicious glance at him. Kaichen stared at Dalia in astonishment.

Dalia just laughed loudly and didn’t elaborate. Kaichen pulled his hood lower, annoyed. Usually, kaichen altered his appearance when he came to the village. But today, he had been in a hurry. He debated on whether he should change his appearance, but the damage was already done. He looked at Dalia, who talked with the vendors animatedly. I haven’t even accepted her as my official disciple, and she is already telling everybody she is my student! Dalia was very bold and brazen. That’s how he saw her.

“Never knew you were going to be this swayed by her.”

“Who is being swayed?”

“It’s clear as day, my friend. Even the blind could see it. You. Kaichen Tenebre, you.” Julius had arrived silently. He put a hand on Kaichen’s shoulder in mock solemnity. “So, is it Momalhaut who poisoned her?”